Assessment Overview
At NCC, academic assessment is a powerful tool — one that helps us ensure our programs are truly working for our students. We collect and analyze data to understand what our students know, how well they understand it, and what they’re able to do with that knowledge.
This is not a one-and-done thing; it’s about creating opportunities for all students to thrive. Assessment at NCC follows a process: all of our programs establish plans, try things out, review the results, and of course, make needed adjustments along the way. All of this is designed to be done on an ongoing basis to make our programs better and give students the best experience we can.
NCC's General Education (Gen Ed) Core Curriculum is part of the academic experience that all students enrolled in our degree programs have in common. The Gen Ed Core Curriculum is designed to go hand-in-hand with the major courses to develop skills that will serve students in their academic study, careers, and in their lives. The knowledge and skills that are part of the Gen Ed Core Curriculum are reinforced throughout the other major courses and electives.
What Middle States (MSCHE) says about Gen Ed
Standard III - Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience: An institution provides students with learning experiences that are characterized by rigor and coherence at all program, certificate, and degree levels, regardless of instructional modality. All learning experiences, regardless of modality, program pace/schedule, level, and setting are consistent with higher education expectations.
- Offers a sufficient scope to draw students into new areas of intellectual experience, expanding their cultural and global awareness and cultural sensitivity, and preparing them to make well-reasoned judgments outside as well as within their academic field;
- Offers a curriculum designed so that students acquire and demonstrate essential skills including at least oral and written communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis and reasoning, technological competency, and information literacy. Consistent with mission, the general education program also includes the study of values, ethics, and diverse perspectives.
NCC's General Education Outcomes
The curricular core requirements are expressed as learning outcomes across eight learning domains that fall into two categories: (1) Knowledge of Arts, Cultures, and the Natural World and (2) Intellectual and Practical Skills.
Knowledge of Arts, Cultures and the Natural World
- Arts and Humanities
- Social Science
- Science
- Diversity & Global Awareness
Intellectual and Practical Skills
- Communication
- Technological Competence
- Quantitative Literacy
- Information Literacy
Accreditation and program reviews are about making sure we’re always operating at our best by providing students with the highest quality education possible. The review processes ensure that our programs are not only effective, but also relevant, evolving with the needs of our students and the expectations of the world around us.
Institutional Accreditation
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
Program Accreditation
NCC partners with a number of organizations who ensure we meet the highest standards for our accredited programs. Below, is a list of those accrediting institutions, along with the programs they review and certify:
- Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
- Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)
- American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE)
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
- Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT)
- Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (COARC)
- American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
Measures for Assessing Student Learning (pdf)
Program Outcomes Data
*Forthcoming January 2025*
Academic Program Audit Reports
- Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Program Audits
- Health Professions & Sciences Audits
- Education and Academic Foundations Audits
- Business & Industry Audits
Fall 2024 Program Assessment Data (pdf)
Programs of Study & Learning Outcomes (pdf)
College Effectiveness Council (CEC)
CEC, housed in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, collaborates closely with the Academic Assessment and COSSAC committees. The communication of assessment results to the campus community will align us with accreditation standards to best serve our students and the community.
The College Effectiveness Council (CEC) is responsible for:
- The oversight of all campus-wide assessment policies and procedures
- Ensuring consistent assessment practice occurs throughout campus
- Reviewing assessment cycles and establishing timelines for the collection and reporting of data
- Maintaining a through line of communication of assessment results from COSSAC and Academic Assessment to Senior Leadership and IMPACT team
Members:
- Dorothy Schramm (co-chair)
- Scott Schaeffer (co-chair)
- Matt Bartholomew
- Allison Carpenter
- Jen Richardson
- Gina Turner
- Marc Singer (ex-officio)
- Academic Assessment Committee
- College Operations and Support Services Assessment Committee (COSSAC)
Academic Assessment Committee
The Academic Assessment Committee oversees and supports all teaching assessment conducted at NCC and is responsible for:
- Supporting the systematic assessment of student learning and academic programs and ensures that assessment practices are effective, consistent, and aligned with institutional goals and accreditation requirements.
- Building and maintaining a culture of assessment by promoting collaboration, communication, and coordination in assessment practices across academic and co-curricular programs.
- Facilitating faculty efforts to gather evidence about student learning and provides resources and technical support to faculty and departments on assessment processes.
- Using program assessment results to make data-informed recommendations of assessment strategies that support and enhance student learning to the appropriate deans and program faculty.
- Maintaining transparency of the assessment process through the sharing of assessment findings across the college.
Members:
- Jen Richardson (chair)
- Allison Carpenter
- Celisa Counterman
- Robin Cunconan-Lahr
- Skadi Rodewald
- Cathie Given
- Meredith Koncz
- Elizabeth Bugaighis (ex-officio)
- Scott Schaeffer (ex-officio)
- Marc Singer (ex-officio)
College Operations and Support Services Assessment Committee (COSSAC)
COSSAC oversees and supports all non-teaching assessment conducted at NCC and is responsible for:
- Articulating the goals, purpose, or outcomes of a functional area
- Collecting qualitative and quantitative data to determine whether an area is meeting the goals, purpose, or outcomes
- Utilizing the data to improve effectiveness and quality
Members:
- Matt Bartholomew (co-chair)
- Scott Schaeffer (co-chair)
- Kathy Barner
- Laura Bauer
- Jillian Gehring
- Karen Glose
- Christina Salvadore
- Sandy Sander
- Barry Saturen
- Sam Temples
- Troy Tucker
- Rachael Weidlich
- Jen Richardson (ex-officio)
*Forthcoming Spring 2025*
- View Curriculum Map Template (pdf) - forthcoming January 2025
- General Education Common Rubrics
